John Culpepper

Area residents and visitors will be able to visit Point Park free of charge this weekend.

"(We recognize) that times are tough," said Sam Weddle, spokesman for the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park . "It is nice to be able to come in for free."

The military park is one of 147 national parks that will waive entrance, tour and transportation fees for three weekends this summer in an effort to promote tourism and appreciation for history.

Admission to the Chickamauga Battlefield is always free, but there's usually a $3 fee to visit Lookout Mountain's Point Park.

"We are inviting the public to come out in the prime time," Mr. Weddle said. "Generally speaking, parks would have more things going on in terms of programming (over the summer)."

This is the first time the National Park Service has eliminated fees for summer visits, Mr. Weddle said.

Fees to visit any site in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park are never very steep, but officials said the gesture is an effort to promote the area and draw in tourists.

Visitors to places such as Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park, which costs $25 to enter, will see more significant savings, Mr. Weddle said.

Tourism is Georgia's second-largest industry. Leaders in Northwest Georgia are working to capitalize on heritage tourism, which means promoting historic sites as visitor attractions.

"It is the fastest-growing segment of tourism," Chickamauga City Manager John Culpepper said.

Leaders of cities that surround the park, such as Chickamauga, Fort Oglethorpe and Lookout Mountain, said they hope people coming for a free park visit will take time to see other area attractions.

Mr. Culpepper said the free weekends are a great chance for children to learn about history and for families to have inexpensive fun.

"People are looking for vacations closer to home," Mr. Culpepper said. "They are having to count every penny."